


The Change in Julia Bashir's Life

by agatharights, Doctopus



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Cisswap, Drabbles, F/M, Female Julian Bashir, Gen, I Blame Tumblr, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 20:38:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1661666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agatharights/pseuds/agatharights, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doctopus/pseuds/Doctopus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in an alternate universe with some minor tweaks to the gender and sex of a few characters, Julia Bashir and Elim Garak find themselves with an unexpected surprise! Mostly fluffy drabbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It Wasn't Quark's Fault

**Author's Note:**

> What's important is that you go look at this  
> http://onetobeamup.tumblr.com/post/86080630764/agatharights-aha-what-am-i-doing-with-my-life  
> and then imagine how cute this baby is going to be.
> 
> Updated sporadically, whenever I finish whipping up a chapter.

Julia’s stomach had been bothering her ever since last night, and she was pretty sure she knew what to blame. “This is what you get for eating at Quark’s three nights in a row.” Nurse Jabara tutted, the Bajoran looking fairly smug. “Same as last week. I’m telling you, there’s something up with the replicators in the bar!”  
  
"I’m sure I’m fine, Jabara." Julia whined childishly, playfully, but still shifting uncomfortably, her throat feeling raw from bile. "It’s just a little nausea. Nothing I haven’t worked through before."  
  
"Still." The nurse smiled, smoothing down the front of her purple-and-orange uniform, before picking up the scanner. "Lets see what kind of new food poisoning Quark has given you this week. Isn’t frontier medicine so much fun?"  
  
"You’re a monster." Julia grumbled, shooting Jabara a look, before they smiled at each other, enjoying the lack of patients this morning and the openness to tease one another.  
  
The starfleet doctor stood still as the Bajoran nurse gave her torso a long, slow sweep with the scanner, distracted by the growl of her stomach  and the bleariness of a night with indigestion. Distracted enough that she didn’t catch Jabara’s eyes widening as the scanner chirruped and whistled.  
  
"Oh." The nurse whispered, hushed.  
  
"Hm?" Julia snapped out of her daze. "What is it?" She cringed preemptively. "Don’t tell me I’ve caught something. If I have Bajoran stomach flu again-"  
  
"No, no." Nurse Jabara chuckled, nervously, a humorless smile on her face. "You’re…well, the good news is, you’re perfectly healthy." She turned the scanner to Julia and handed it over, Julia taking it with her brow furrowed in curiosity. "You’re just…"  
  
Outside the infirmary, the few passer-bys during these morning hours were startled by the doctor’s sharp, piercing cry.  
  
” _WHAT?! HOW?!_ ”  
  
~  
  
In his tailor’s shop, well out of earshot, Garak paused from the repair work he was doing on starfleet technician’s uniform. At least people seemed to have learned that while a replicated uniform was fast to replace, it was well worth it to have them repaired manually. It kept him in business.  
  
Still…he paused, suddenly feeling very deeply unnerved, and unable to quite tell why.  
  
Reflexively, he stood and after a moment to ensure that no-one was watching, stepped into one of the changing rooms and removed a wall panel, making certain that the small bag he kept packed in case an emergency forced him to flee the station was there. Just in case.  
  
By the time he was back out at the front of the store the computer informed him he had a written message from his dear Doctor Bashir, and he went to read whatever she had written with trepidation. An ominous feeling passing over him? A message-written instead of spoken to imply secrecy? Ill tidings all around.  
  
The message wasn’t very comforting either.  
  
 **EMERGENCY MEET ME IN INFIRMARY AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!!!!!!**  
  
She couldn’t have possibly needed that many exclamation points, could she?  
  
~  
  
When he arrived, the nurse- Jabara, was that her name, gave him a bit of an odd look, but made herself scarce as he poked his head into the back room, finding Julia laying on the exam table, hands folded on her stomach, looking up at the ceiling with the stunned expression of somebody who was trying to suppress panic. Her eyes flicked to him, and she sighed, deeply, frowning.  
  
"Garak, you’re very good at not panicking, right? I mean, obviously you are, I shot you in the neck and you were barely even stunned, but still."  
  
That…that did not make him feel any more confident about what news his young lover could possibly have for him. “I rarely panic.” He reassured her, stepping in.  
  
"Good. Because I might panic a little. I’m trying to stay in the ‘shock’ area of reactions right now." She smiled at him, uncertainly, looking outright distressed behind the grin.  
  
He wondered, briefly, through a variety of horrible revelations. I’m dying, Garak. He steeled himself, just in case. “What’s wrong, my dear?”  
  
"Nothing! I’m perfectly healthy, tip-top shape!" She sat up, nervously folding and re-folding her hands, fidgeting. "I’m also pregnant."  
  
Garak nodded, and smiled, calmly.  
  
"…You’re screaming internally, aren’t you?" She asked after a silent moment.  
  
He nodded and smiled, calmly.  
  
After another uncomfortable silent moment, Jabara peered at him. “…I think he’s fainted standing up.”  
  
"Oh, no-" Julia sighed, getting off the exam table. Jabara, feeling particularly bold, snapped her fingers in front of Garak’s face, failing to garner a response.  
  
"Eyes are open, nobody’s home."  
  
"I’ll get him to a chair." Julia muttered, gently taking his arm and guiding him, wary of his awkward steps, to a chair. He patted her arm as he sat, shakily, finally focusing on her and looking absolutely disoriented.  
  
"I’m really sorry about this." She said, weakly. "I had a standard Federation implant, but…with my immune system, we think my uterine lining might have rejected it somehow…"  
  
” _Aaaaa_.” He let out a faint squeak of air. Jabara excused herself again.  
  
Julia swallowed hard and tried to put herself in a clinical mind. She’d managed to do so before- she had to be a doctor. It wouldn’t be the first time she delivered the awkward news of an unplanned fertilization to someone, this just happened to be…her own. Hm. And now Garak was holding her arm tight, taking breaths a little too fast, and she worried if this room was too small for him suddenly.  
  
"Please don’t panic." She asked, weakly. "If you panic, I will panic, and then we’ll both look absolutely ridiculous."  
  
” _Baby_.” Garak wheezed. “There’s a baby.”  
  
"Yes. Well, technically I would refer to it as an embryo at this stage." He looked at her like she was insane, and she babbled nervously. "I think. Maybe? I don’t know anything about Cardassian neonatal development much less anything about hybridization development ahaha-" Her laugh slid into a deep " _Hhhhhghhh_ " of a groan, and she lowered her head into her hands, trying to keep it together.  
  
He guided her to the seat next to him. “Just…just sit down for a minute, dear.” Quietly. They both took several long breaths, trying to calm themselves. “It will be fine. You can always have an abortion if we don’t want a child.” He was struggling a bit, to calm down. Garak wondered if there was a time in his life when he could’ve heard this news and not batted an eye. His control was slipping, in age and softness.  
  
She kept her face in her hands. “I know. I know, I just need to think about this a little.” She took a deep breath in and held it, before leaning against him. He pressed back, comforting. “…Compared to the usual sort of trouble we seem to get into, this seems like it should be relatively minor.” Julia chuckled, nervously. “Usually people are dying, not forming.”  
  
Even he smirked a little at that, but only for a moment. “This impacts a life for a lot longer.”  
  
There was another silence.  
  
"…I don’t think it’s even technically legal for me to be pregnant." She whispered.  
  
"Because of your augmentation?"  
  
"Yes. Well, I mean…it’s…a very strange grey area. There’s lots of options, I mean, it’s not illegal, and hell, name a group of humans that aren’t descended from some group of genetically augmented people after it became fashionable in the 21st century, but it’s…" She gestured vaguely, uncertain how to explain the complicated legal status she’d studied far too many times. Inwardly, she briefly fantasized about strangling her father.  
  
"…It’s not likely."  
  
"Mmhm." She sighed. "…What do Cardassians think about genetic augmentation?"  
  
"It became unallowable after several lower class families managed to gain power by pooling their resources into having their children altered. Apart from it’s aid in attempting to upset the balance of power, all Cardassians are more or less for it." He nodded. "Anything to give your progeny an edge in life."  
  
"…Well, I suppose that’s not so bad. Though the public opinion against mixed-species heritage…I guess you win some, you lose some." At least humans were fairly accepting of mixed-species kids.  
  
"Yes, there is that." He rolled his eyes and huffed, under his breath. " _Idiocy_.”  
  
"Yeah." She laughed softly, nervously, and he patted her back, the air thick with discomfort between them. "…Nurse Jabara swore secrecy, so I assume she’ll be able to make it at least a week before it becomes gossip."  
  
"What are you going to do?" He asked, suddenly.  
  
"I don’t know yet." She answered, quietly. "Think about this. A lot. There’s not even any research I could find on the viability of Human-Cardassian hybridization." They both frowned, shifting in their seats.  
  
"So it may very well not work out either way."  
  
"Yeah." She cleared her throat. "Or it could work out fine. I mean, Human are considered pretty comparative to Bajorans, reproductive-system wise, I’ve seen that firsthand with the O’Briens. And I’ve seen a handful of Cardassian-Bajoran hybrids."  
  
"They’re…not uncommon." Garak tread delicately there. Poor kids were more often than not a reminder of the occupation.  
  
"But who knows what the actual statistics are." She huffed. "I never even thought I’d have kids. Well, I did, ages ago, but I never actually thought it through."  
  
"Never really considered the possibility?"  
  
"Well, back then I was dating another human and thinking about living on Earth, so I figured that….we’d discuss it then, when we got to that point. But in the end I couldn’t resist the call of the frontier, so I wound up out here instead! Much happier for it, mind you, I’d have died of boredom working in Paris."  
  
"Ah, yes, the wild frontier." His voice was thick with sarcasm, and it felt like a semblance of normality returned between them. "Tell me, doctor, did your initial estimate include the Jem’Hadar?"  
  
"No…but it also didn’t factor in _tailors_.” She jabbed him with her elbow, and he winced, watching as she stood. “…Or _this_. I hope this doesn’t mean we’re not having dinner tomorrow.”  
  
"We are." He recalled the plans, made not even two days ago. Seemed like it’d be foolish to cancel a dinner date now, of all times. "I think we could both use some time to ponder, though."  
  
"We really do." She swallowed, hard. "I really am sorry to spring this on you."  
  
"I imagine you had little warning yourself." He stood, and with a sweep of his thumb he gently stroked hair away from her face, letting his hand rest there along her warm jaw.  
  
"Well, I had Nurse Jabara scan me because I assume I’d gotten sick from eating at Quark’s again…so it was a little surprising, yes." He chortled at that. "I don’t think we can blame this one on Quark, though."  
  
"… _Hopefully_!” He teased, giving her a firm stare.  
  
"Oh, ew! No! Don’t give me that look." She cringed, and looked genuinely relieved for the taunting.  
  
"I’m merely saying." He stated, primly. She rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a push.  
  
"Get out of here- I have patients who’ll be coming soon."  
  
He gave her a brief kiss before leaving the infirmary to go back to his shop, and both of them spent the rest of the day trying to ignore the lingering desire to freeze and panic that rested in their chests. And come night, they fitfully tried to sleep on it.  
  
Garak awoke from a strikingly brief nightmare about Tain, closing a closet door on him.  
  
Julia had a nightmare about the eugenics wars and reptiles that made absolutely no sense in the morning light, but had been entirely terrifying in the senseless logic of the dream.


	2. It's What You're Willing To Face

There was absolutely no reason to go through with this, Julia thought in the morning.  
  
She was already on a razor’s edge of legality, just by virtue of her existence and her father’s confession had been the only thing to save her career. Who could even guess what the Federation’s viewpoint on this child would be.  
  
The doctor in her thought about better-known hybrids. Between Klingon and Human, or Vulcan and Human. Difficult pregnancies requiring lab-grown artificial placentas or copious amounts of anti-rejection medical treatments. Failed pregnancies where genetics had just failed to mesh.  
  
There was a memory, so vague and distant, of herself- no, of Juliet, a scared child who couldn’t understand what she needed to, and suddenly she was fearful because what if her ova hadn’t been affected by the genetic rewriting? Would a child of hers carry whatever disability had plagued her own early life?  
  
She lay in bed and fretted senselessly, staring up at her ceiling, tossing about threatening thoughts of Section 31 nosing around her, and Garak’s past with the Obsidian Order…who knew what kind of dangers a child could be in?  
  
To say nothing of the Jem’Hadar who attack, of the looming threat of the Dominion that hung over the heads of everybody on Deep Space Nine.  
  
Julia Bashir did not want to get up today. She grabbed Kukalaka down off the shelf and held him under the blankets, letting herself be briefly smothered with thoughts and worries.  
  
Kukalaka, unfortunately, was nothing but a Teddy Bear and thus did not have much in the way of opinions to offer her.  
  
~  
  
  
The door chirruped, and Miles automatically said “Enter!” without even glancing up from his coffee. It was a good, quiet start to the day. Keiko was playing with Molly and Yoshi in the daughter’s room, he had plenty of time before his shift to relax for once…so when he glanced up and saw that Julia was standing in the doorway, nervously fidgeting and glancing around, he simply raised his mug to her. “Morning.”  
  
"Miles, if I tell you something that will make you angry, will you promise to try not to get angry?" She babbled.  
  
Miles cursed inwardly. This was not how he wanted to spend his morning.  
  
"…If I say no, will you not tell me?"  
  
"I’m probably going to tell you anyways." She shifted, running a hand through her hair.  
  
” _Dammit_.” He sipped his coffee.  
  
"I’m pregnant!" She blurted out.  
  
He spat the coffee in his mouth down the front of his shirt. “ _FFF_ -“  
  
"Now, before you murder Garak-"  
  
” _I’M GOING TO KILL YOU BOTH_!”  
  
"Maybe I should talk to Keiko. Is Keiko home? Keiko, are you home?!"  
  
Miles stayed standing by the door, practically frothing at the mouth in shock, as Keiko peered out and raised an eyebrow. “…Morning, Julia.”  
  
"Keiko! Can I talk to you?"  
  
Keiko looked warily at her husband, who was positively purple in the face and had coffee down the front of his shirt.  
  
"…yes?"  
  
A few minutes later and Miles was calming down while playing with his kids, and Keiko was handing Julia a mug of warm tea before sitting beside her on the couch. “So, how far along are you?”  
  
"Only three to four weeks. It’s hard to tell, until I can find out more about Cardassian prenatal development." Rubbing her forehead. "I thought I just ate something at Quark’s."  
  
"I know what that’s like." Keiko smirked. "So…what are you going to do?"  
  
"I don’t know yet." Julia sighed, slouching where she sat. "I haven’t…I can’t decide if I want to do this or not." Keiko gently touched her arm, and nodded.  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
Julia took a deep breath, and did. It felt good to tell someone, about the legal question, about the medical risks, about dangers and the Dominion, and Keiko listened. “I just don’t think, I mean…I don’t think it would be fair to do this, not to me, or Garak, or the kid-“  
  
"Do you _want_ a child?” Keiko asked, finally, after a long sip.  
  
"…I don’t know." Julia admitted. "Yes, I mean, I want kids, but I never actually thought I _could_ have them! I didn’t ever think of it as an actual option!”  
  
"So you want children." Julia nodded, chewing her lip, and Keiko smiled, softly. "Then you can list off challenges and dangers all you want, but they really don’t matter. It’s not ‘what are the risks’, but it’s ‘ _what risks am I willing to see my child through_ ’.”  
  
She stared at Keiko, uncertainly.  
  
"Julia, you literally had to ask me if I was comfortable having my unborn child transplanted to _another woman’s body_ , and you told me all the risks, everything that could go wrong. But I agreed, because those only matter in the sense that I can ask myself ‘do I want to fight for this child’ and answer _yes_.”  
  
Suddenly, Julia felt better about the fact that she wanted kids, amidst all those dangers, and she hugged Keiko with a healthy dose of sniffles.  
  
~  
  
They had dinner in Garak’s quarters, both of them keen on a little privacy, even though the awkward lack of conversation pervaded the evening from the very start. They danced around each other as they sat and there were a few failed attempts to instigate conversation smoothly before Julia abruptly burst out her thoughts.  
  
"It’s a terrible idea, having a kid! We’d be endangering any potential child, as well as our careers- well, my career -and that’s not even touching on the danger the Dominion’s got hanging over our heads." She took a sharp breath and continued before Garak could interject. "It’s a blind zone, medically, on if a human-cardassian embryo would even be viable, and we don’t know if my genetic augmentation would be hereditary or not."  
  
She swallowed, hard, and Garak waited, patiently, for her to continue.  
  
"…I want to go through with it."  
  
"I…think that’s a terrible idea." He said, quietly, and she nodded, smiling.  
  
"It is. It’s the _worst_.”  
  
"Well, then, let’s do it." He reached across the table and placed his hand on hers, expression a unique mix of a comforting smile and uncertainty.  
  
"Agreed." She placed her hand on his, and they both leaned over the small table to share a warm kiss, before sitting down. "Now for the _real_ difficult decision.”  
  
"And what could that possibly be?"  
  
"Do we actually select people to tell, or do I just mention it to Jadzia and let the whole station find out naturally?"  
  
He mused for a moment, before chuckling. “The second seems like much less work for us. It’ll save us having to make a big explanation.”  
  
"I’ll tell Sisko, too. I’m sure he’ll have a very personal speech to give me."  
  
The immense sense of relief that had settled over them was barely covering the slow-burning worry still in their minds. Things were about to change. A lot.  
  
"…I might need some alterations to my uniforms, before long." He looked up as Julia spoke, curious. "I mean, if I am anything like my mother, then the first thing that’s going to be changing for me is… _well_ …” She cupped her hands over her breasts, and mimed them expanding. “Hormones.”  
  
Garak stared, before slowly smiling.


	3. Responsibility and Citizenry

Telling Sisko first was a good idea. It ensured he wouldn’t feel like he’d been left out of the loop, it ensured that he could help figure out exactly what would be happening with them, and it ensured that he couldn’t blame Julia for not telling him right away. Besides, Julia had reasoned, he was a father figure to half the station, he’d understand, _right_?  
  
She was thinking that a little less as he stared at her, wide-eyed and quiet, as if waiting for the punchline to a joke.  
  
"…Sir?"  
  
"You’re _serious_.”  
  
Julia nodded, smiling wide, trying to exude confidence. Commander Sisko sighed, deeply, and rubbed his face. She braced herself for a speech, and instead he stood and held his hand to her. It took her a moment to reach out herself, and shake it.  
  
"Congratulations, Doctor Bashir."  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
Sisko squeezed her hand, then, and narrowed his eyes, leaning in. “…I want you to understand that it’s only by the virtue that I have a prearranged meeting in ten minutes that we’re not discussing this further _right now_.”  
  
Julia’s smile faltered a little.  
  
"Tomorrow morning, start of your shift, you’re coming back here to my office and we are going to discuss this."  
  
"Yes, sir." She grumbled.  
  
"Let Mister Garak know that I’ll be discussing this with him, as well." She cringed, and had the distinct impression that tomorrow morning would be among the worst she’d ever had, just thankful that no-one seemed to shake Garak, not even Sisko.  
  
"I’ll be here."  
  
~  
  
Julia left Sisko’s office with a sigh, like a child escaping being reprimanded by a school principal, and made her way through Ops to where Miles was working, the irishman giving her a wary look.  
  
"…Did you tell Sisko?" He asked, after a moment of her waiting nearby.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I take it he’s not happy?"  
  
"He _definitely_ did not seem that way.” She sighed, almost theatrically, and noticed that Miles was smirking, focused on his work again. “What are you smiling about?”  
  
"Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy either, but it’s nice to see that you’ve stopped moping about."  
  
"I wasn’t moping!" Julia feigned offense, relieved that Miles was back to taking jabs at her as opposed to avoiding her like he’d done yesterday. "At best, I was being ever so slightly morose."  
  
"Oh, and I suppose I was just ‘ _having a little tiff_ ' yesterday, than?” They smiled at each other. “How're you going to tell everyone else?”  
  
"I figured I’d let Jadzia tell them for me. Or I’d go to Quark’s and refuse a drink for ‘medical reasons’ and let him tell everyone his suspicions." Miles gave her a long, disapproving stare, and she rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to do, send out cards to everyone?"  
  
"It’d certainly be better than relying upon Jadzia specifically to gossip."  
  
"What gossip?" Jadzia’s voice cut through their discussion, and they looked up to find her on the other side of the console, eyebrow quirked in curiosity. "…I heard my name, so I’m assuming one of you wanted something?"  
  
Julia grinned, wide, and moved around the console to swing an arm over Jadzia’s shoulders. “Jadzia, o _wisest_ and most _beautiful_ friend of mine?”  
  
"You don’t have to butter me up, Julia." She chuckled, crossing her arms. This ought to be good. "What is it?"  
  
"I’m pregnant." She said, voice soft and sing-song. Jadzia gaped, then looked to Miles who nodded with a smirk for confirmation, then smiled broadly at Julia, who shrugged, beaming. "Sisko’s furious."  
  
"Congratulations!" Jadzia chirped, and took the other woman into a warm hug. "I’m safe in assuming this was a surprise?"  
  
"You have no idea."  
  
"You realize I’m not _just_ a focal point for gossip you want to spread, in lieu of actually telling people yourself?” Jadzia chuckled, and Julia nodded.  
  
"I’m aware of that! I’m not saying you _should_ tell everybody, I just…get the impression that if Garak and I miss telling anyone, this would be a good way to make sure they hear it from _someone_.” She laughed, and the Trill gave her a pat on the back.  
  
"I’ll tell Morn tomorrow."  
  
"Okay, maybe we don’t want the news to spread _quite_ that fast…”  
  
~  
  
Once people knew, things went alarmingly fast for several days. Sisko gave Bashir a firm speech about responsibilities of a parent, about her responsibility to starfleet, about how he had told her how mingling with Garak could wind up poorly. But it ended up rather sweet, a much-needed thing for Julia’s fired nerves, when Sisko sat on the edge of his desk and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You’ve put yourself, and by extension all of us in a very complicated situation, Doctor Bashir."  
  
"It wasn’t exactly on purpose."  
  
"I know that, and I trust that you understand the position you’re in." He stared her down, and she nodded, gravely. "That’s also why I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to ensure that this station is a safe place for you." His hand rested on her shoulder, warm and heavy, and she nodded.  
  
"…Thank you."  
  
"Don’t thank me yet, thank me after the inevitable fallout from this comes down on us."  
  
~  
  
Fallout began with the uncertainty of citizenship, of all things, nothing more than a legal matter that had taken over not only conversation for an entire dinner but was now threatening to overcome dessert.  
  
"I don’t understand Cardassian citizenship law, then! How can a culture possibly extend citizenship to all it’s members if it insists upon placing citizenship to varying degrees? How can you be _half_ a citizen?” Julia rubbed her temples, exasperated.  
  
"Very easily, I’m afraid. This is why I don’t think Cardassian citizenship should even be included in our discussions for now- as much as I believe in the state-" Garak began, and Julia interrupted with a muttered,  
  
” _Poppycoc_ k.”  
  
To which he shot her a look before continuing. “-I just don’t think Cardassia is in the right political climate for our child’s citizenship.”  
  
"Well, it’s not as if we’d live there! It’d just be another option. They’d also have Federation citizenship, in all likelihood." Julia huffed. "As far as I can tell, any children of illegally genetically modified persons are grandfathered in as regular citizens. _And_ that all children with non-Federation heredity are allowed _full_ citizenship, as opposed to some ridiculous notion of half-citizenship.”  
  
"And you really trust the Federation Law to accommodate?" Garak shifted back in his seat, pushing a blob of chocolate pudding around his dish, his appetite for dessert spoiled.  
  
"I do! Federation politics are no stranger to half-species children, even with non-federation species. I haven’t found a single case where a mixed-species child has been denied citizen status and protections."  
  
"A single case that’s _known_ , you mean. Or perhaps I should be saying a single case _yet_. Unlike you, I don’t just assume that politics between Cardassia and the Federation will remain peaceful- should there be a state of war between the two again, do you really think either side is going to let somebody maintain duel citizenship?”  
  
"Garak, I can’t tell if you’re arguing in favor of Federation citizenship or not, because you seem to think that they shouldn’t have Cardassian or Federation citizenry either way!" Julia’s voice raised, and she abruptly hushed herself, glancing around. The Replimat may have been their usual venue for more literature-derived arguments, but somehow it felt less appropriate to be discussing this here.  
  
At least nobody seemed to be giving them notice. It was quiet, past the usual dinnertime.  
  
"I’m merely pointing out that no matter what we choose, there is the potential for negative consequences and I am loathe to impose any of those on our child."  
  
"That is not helping! That is the opposite of helping us decide!" Julia moaned, rubbing her face with her hands. Garak gave her a moment before he bought up another point.  
  
"…similarly, should the child not inherit your genetic augmentations, how would the Federation view _that_?”  
  
” _I don’t even want to think about that now!_ ”  
  
"Again, I’m not trying to stress you, my dear." Garak reached across the table and stroked her arm, frowning. "But I do want to make sure that we have a defense ready against _anything_ that could possibly happen.”  
  
"I know, I know." Julia sighed. "I just wish that we actually had a good answer for half of these that wasn’t ‘ _disappear into the neutral zone_ ' or something of the sort.”  
  
"I’ll make sure that if we ever need to flee Federation space, we’ll do so in comfort and style." He chuckled, and at the very least that got a smile from her.  
  
They were interrupted, then, by a Bajoran in red clearing her throat, standing beside their table.  
  
"Why, Major! Hello!" Garak smiled humorlessly, and Julia had the distinct feeling that Kira had already discussed this with Garak.  
  
"Hello, Kira." She said, ignoring the glare that Nerys was giving Garak, before speaking.  
  
"I know you aren’t looking for advice from outside the two of you-"  
  
"We really aren’t." Garak muttered softly.  
  
"-but I just want to point out that, if you traveled to Bajor to have your child, they would have Bajoran citizenship by birth." Kira put her hands up, palms out- indicating that it was just a suggestion. "Bajoran citizenship isn’t considered to be exclusive to the Bajoran species, and there’s mixed-species and Cardassian children alike considered citizens."  
  
Garak looked like he was thinking, interested, and Julia blinked. She’d know that, but had never really thought about it- “Why don’t you sit down, Major? We’re listening.” Garak made a sweeping gesture to a nearby table with an empty chair, and Kira moved it over, sitting between them.  
  
"Now, I don’t approve of _this_ at all-” Kira gestured to Julia’s stomach.  
  
"Noted." Julia nodded. She could see why Kira would be uncomfortable with it.  
  
"-but it might be your best shot at making sure your child is protected here, on a Bajoran station." Julia shifted, nervously, thinking about what would happen if they had to leave. "Bajoran citizens are granted protection in Bajoran space as well as in Federation space."  
  
"That’s good, but is the Bajoran government going to throw a fit over neither of us being Bajoran citizens?" Julia gestured between herself and Garak.  
  
"Not so long as there’s a Bajoran citizen who can vouch for the child’s citizenship."  
  
They stared at Kira expectantly, brows raised, Garak with his insincere smile and Julia with her side grin. Kira rolled her eyes, glancing away.  
  
"I wasn’t talking about myself."  
  
Julia and Garak sighed, exaggerated.  
  
"Oh, come on! I’m not the only Bajoran that either of you know, and I’ll do my best to make sure that things turn out alright for you-" She pointedly turned to Julia at that, putting a hand on the human woman’s arm. Garak felt subtly snubbed. "-but the last thing I need to do is give Kai Winn any more mud to sling at me. Vouching for citizenship to be given to a Cardassian-Human child would probably have her petitioning for me to be either excommunicated or to lose my rank and commission."  
  
"Well, at least you tried to help." Julia muttered with no small amount of sarcasm, and Kira huffed.  
  
"I was going to suggest, you could ask Ziyal."  
  
Julia paused, thinking, and glanced to Garak, who looked curiously approving. “Why, Major, if I had to guess, I’d say you really _did_ care.”  
  
” _Don’t push it_ , Garak. If you needed any more encouragement, I think it’d be good for you to know that there’s no laws against genetic manipulation or rewriting on Bajor- it might be considered a little _sacrilegious_ , but it’s never been a problem, and there’s no grey legality questions about it.”

Kira smirked, and Julia grinned, looking immensely relieved. She had the feeling that her friends were going to be invaluable for getting through this.


End file.
